Car brake



July 12, 1932- A. E. GUERTIN, SR.) ET AL 1,866,767

CAR BRAKE Filed Jan. 30, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l ALF/75a E. Bus/77m A4 F7760 E. EuEnr/ndQ Inventor Attorney July 12, 1932.

A. E. GUERTIN, sR., ET AL CAR BRAKE Filed Jan. 30, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor By Ms A ttarney July 12, 1932. A. E. GUERTIN. am, ET AL. 1,866,767

CAR BRAKE Filed Jan. 50, 1.930

3 Sheets-Sheet ALF/75D E EL/E'flT/N A LFHED El EUEH TIN c/a Attorney Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ALFRED E. GUER'IIN, SR., AND ALFRED E. GUERTIN, JR OF KELLOGG, IDAHO GAR BRAKE Application filed January 30, 1930. Serial No. 424,650.

Our present invention relates to improvements in car brakes, especially for cars used on industrial railways, having inclined tracks, and particularly applied to mining operations where the material, in cars, is hauled up an inclined railway, as by cable, from the mine. As is well known to those familiar with mining operations, the loaded skip cars, when they reach the peak of the railway, outside the mine, are tilted or tipped for unloading. The empty cars are then permitted to run by gravity down the inclined railway into the mine for another load. As the loaded cars are pulled by cable up the inclined railway, and as the cars are being tipped for unloading, the pull or hauling cable is subjected to severe strains, which sometimes result in breaking of-the cable, and the car runs wild down the inclined railway. Frequently, when shifts are being changed, twelve to fifteen miners ride as passengers in the unloaded car to their Work, the car rolling down the tracks with the hauling cable trailing behind. Should the cable part or break for any reason the lives ofthe pas sengers are endangered, and wreckage and property damage result from the wrecking of the runaway car.

The primary object of our invention is to retard and control the down-hill travel of the cars by applying braking mechanism of the frictional'type to the wheels of the car when the speed of the car reaches a predetermined maximum limit, as determined by a speed governor. The speed governor is carried by the car for coaction with a track installation that controls a fluid pressure motor, which motor operates to release the braking mechanism in order that it may be automatically applied by gravity to the wheels of the car.

After the gravity-operated braking mechanism has been applied and performed its functions, the mechanism is reset or restored to position for another application, by the use of another fluid operated motor, and the first mentioned motor, is used to lock the mechanism in re-set position.

The frictional braking mechanism includes a pair of gravity operating brake rails supported :above and parallel with the track rails and extending substantially the length of the our track, which brake rails also function as guide rails for the flanged wheels of the car under normal conditions.

The brake rails are supported above the line of travel of the car wheels, and when the supports for the rails are withdrawn, thegravity operated brake rails are applied as brakes, or other means maybe utilized under some conditions for applying the brake lo ral s.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of parts as will hereinafter be more fully set forth and claimed. In the accompanying drawings we have illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of our invention wherein the parts are combined and arranged according tothe best mode we have thus far devised for the practical application of the 7 principles of our invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a loaded mine car being hauled up the inclined tracks, with the equipment of our invention installed for use.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view showing one of the pivoted brake-rail supportingyokes and rail in their relation to one of the wide wheels used for tilting or tipping the loaded car, and also employed as the brake 30 wheels of the present invention.

Figure v3 is a detail side view of the pneumatic control mechanism for the gravity applied brake rails. Figure 4: is a perspective view showing one of the pivoted brake-rail yokes in its relation to the brake rail and track rail, as seen in Figure 2. Figure .5 is a vertical cross .sectional view .of the brake rails and track rails showing the pneumatis cally controlled, pivoted, operating yoke of the brake rails. Figure 6 is an end view of a skip car or mine car equipped with the trip ping mechanism for the brake rails, and showing the rails in section. Figure '7 is an enlarged view of one of the track trips together with the co-acti-ng trip lever on the car. Figure 8 is a detail view of the speed controlled governor on a car axle.

In Figures 1 and 5 a portion of an in-. 'clined railway is shown, and the railway may extend upwardly through passages in a mine to the mouth of the mine, or the railway may be used for other industrial and similar purposes on the inclined ground surface.

The roadbed for the railway track may be built, in suitable manner, using cross ties 1 and the customary rails 2. and 3 in either a narrow gage track or a standard gage railway. Above the track rails 2 and 3, and eX- tending substantially the length of the inclined railway, are located and supported brake-rails 1 and 5, conveniently formed from suitable railroad rails, and the brake rails, at their ends, are joined in substantially the same manner as the track rails, as by fish-plates, bolts, etc. The brake-rails are thus supported parallel with and above the track rails, but not necessarily in the same vertical planes; and the brake-rails for convenience are supported from the track-rails in connection with the ties 1.

At suitable intervals along the railway tracks are provided normally upright, pivoted yokes 6, a series of the yokes being used in connection with each track rail 2 and 3, and these yokes are employed to support the brake-rails in normal position, and to restore the brake-rails to normal position after an application of the braking mechanism. As best seen in Figure 2 each yoke 6 comprises a lower horizontal arm 7 fashioned with an end, pivot-bolt 8, passing through a bolt hole from the outer side of the track rail, and at the inner side of the track rail a nut 9 is threaded on the pivot bolt for retaining the yoke in place. 7

The lower horizontal arm 7 is fashioned with a downwardly projecting head 10 which rests upon a wear plate 11 that is spiked or otherwise secured to the tie at the outer side of the rail 2 or 3. At its upper end the yoke terminates in a horizontal arm 12 also fashioned with a pivot-bolt 13 that is passed through a bolt hole in the brake-rail, and a nut 14 at the inner side of the brake-rail holds the yoke in place with the brake-rail. It will thus be seen that the series of yokes are supported by the track rails with a pivotal joint, and the yokes are also supported by the heads 10 on the wear plates 11, the two points providing a wide bearing for the yoke.

These supporting yokes are held in normal position perpendicular tothe track rails and brake rails, but when the yokes are released the weight of the brake rails causes the yokes to swing on their pivotal supports 8 and 10, and the brake rails are caused to move longitudinally, down-hill, thus bringing the brake rails nearer to the track rails, and applying the brake-rails by gravity to the peripheries of the car wheels 31 and 32 of the car 30.

The brake-rails are supported by the yokes,

and retained in normal position by the use of an operating yoke 15 located at the top of the grade, disposed transversely of the railway, and adapted to be released to permit gravity application of the brake rails.

The operating yoke, or retaining yoke is of general U-shape and is supported on alined pivots 16 and 17 carried in posts 18 that are secured at the opposite ends of a cross tie and at the outer sides of the track rails 2 and 3. Above the pivots 16 and 17 the arms of the operating yoke are provided with alined horizontal bolts 19 and 20 that are pivoted at 21 in the brake-rails, and one side of the yoke is provided with a lever-arm extension 22 that has a slotted joint connection at 23 with the stem 24 of a piston 25 that is operable in the pneumatic or compressed air cylinder 26. The cylinder has a vent port 27, a compressed air pipe 28 and a control valve 29 therein.

When the valve 29 is turned to admit motive fluid to the cylinder from pipe 28, the piston 25 is pushed to the left as in Figure 3, swinging the operating yoke 15 on its pivots 16 and 17, and this swinging movement of the yoke is converted into longitudinal movement of the brake-rails, the movement continuing until the supporting yokes of the brake rails are bought to perpendicular position as in Figures 1 and 3. This described position is the normal position for the brake rails, and the lever arm is held by a latch 59, as will be described, to hold the brake rails in inoperative position.

The operating yoke is released from locked or latched position to permit application of the brakes, when the speed of the car 30 reaches an excessive or dangerous point, as for instance when the empty car is running down-grade in advance of the cable 35. the cables should break thus permitting the car to run wild, the speed of the car would become instrumental in releasing the operating yoke for the application of the brake rails to I U y the wheels 31 and 32 of the car.

As shown, the front wheels 31 have the usual width of tread while the rear wheels 32 are provided with a wider tread so that the wheels 32 may co-operate with a tipping track for unloading the car. are positioned so that they will contact, especially, with the wide-tread wheels 32, in addition to frictionally engaging the standard tread wheels 31, and it will be apparent that the gravity-applied brake-rails will fall toward the track rails, and by their weight provide sufficient friction on the treads of the wheels to stop rotation of the wheels.

The brake rail '11;

One of the car axles, as 33 revolves, in its I journal bearings 34, with a pair of wheels,

and the cable 35 is attached at the front of the car to haul the loaded car when the cable is wound upon a drum.

A ball-type of speed governor 36, is mounted on the axle 33, and a slide sleeve 37 on the 3 axle is moved by the governor, to the right in Figures 6 and 8, as the speed of the car increases, and a pull link 38 has a forked end 39 that straddles the flanged sleeve 37. The link is pivoted at 40 to an L-shaped lever arm 41, and the lever arm is pivoted at 42 on a bracket or other stationary support 43 on the car. The free end of the Lshaped lever arm is retained and guided by means of a guide plate 44 secured to the bracket, and the L-shaped lever arm is fashioned with a head 45 which is adapted to be brought into line with one of a series of spaced tappets 46 located along the railway track.

These tappets, which are spaced at suitable intervals along the track are secured in upright position on a slide rod 47 and secured in adjusted position by a screw or set bolt 48. The rod is supported to slide in bushings 49 secured to the cross ties between the track rails, and the rod, which extends sul stantially throughout the length of the in clined railway, at the upper end of the rail way is provided with a pivoted link 50. The link is pivoted at 51 to an air-valve lever 52 that controls passage of air through the air valve 53, and the latter controls pressure of air through pipe 54 to a motorcylinder 55. The motor cylinder has a piston 56 there-- in, and its stem 57 is connected by a link 53 to the latch arm or retaining hook 59. The latch arm is pivoted at 60 on a suitable stationary support, and it engages a lug 61 on the side of the latch.

Thus, as shown on Figure 3 the latch is en aging the lug to hold the operating yoke in normal position with the brake rails also in normal position. lVhen a car is traveling down-hill and reaches a predetermined speed, the speed controlled mechanism causes the tappet rod 47 to slide to the right in Figure 3, opening the air valve 53. Air then flows into the motor cylinder 55 below the piston 56, and the piston is thereby lifted, pulling the latch 59 free from the lug 61. The operating yoke is thus released and the weight of the brake-rails swings the yoke as indicated by the arrow. The brake rails also swing downwardly, as indicated by the arrow in Figure 3, for frictional engagement with the wheels of the car.

After the brake rails have performed their functions, they are re-set by the motor 2526 through the air pipe 28 and valve 2*.

Should either, or both, an L-shaped lever 45 or a tappet 46 be broken by impact, suitable repairs may be made at slight cost, compared with the cost that would result from a wreck in the absence of the car brakes.

When the brake-rails are being applied valve 29 is closed, but the air in cylinder 26 is forced through the vent hole or port 27 of the cylinder 26 as the piston 25 moves to the right in Figure 3, and the slot-and-pin connection 23 permits the stem 24 to slide into the cylinder. While some pressure may leak through the vent port 27 as the brakerails are being re-set, it will be apparent that the pressure will be sufiicient to return the operating yoke to its normal position, after which the air is released from the motor cylinder 55 and the latch or hook is dropped into engagement with the lug. The latch thus holds the operating yoke in latched position until the brake-rails are again applied.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. The combination in a railway brake mechanism for a traveling car, of a pair of brake rails and means for supporting them over the path of travel of car wheels, a speed operated governor and trip mechanism carried by the car, holding means for the brake rails, and track-trip mechanism co-acting with the car-trip mechanism for releasing the holding means for an application of the brake mechanism.

2. In a railway brake mechanism for a traveling car, the combination with a pair of brake rails located over the path of travel of the car wheels, pivotal supports for holding said rails in uplifted position, retaining means for one of the supports, means for releasing the retaining means, speed controlled means on the car, and trip mechanism on the track co-operating with the speed controlled means for operating the releasing means.

3. In a railway brake mechanism for a traveling car, the combination with a pair of spaced brake rails located over the paths of travel of the car wheels, of a plurality of pivoted supporting yokes pivotally connected to the rails, a pivoted Ushaped operating yoke pivotally connected with the rails, a lever arm on the operating yoke, a latch device for the lever arm, and means actuated by the traveling car for releasing the latch device.

4. In a railway brake mechanism for a traveling car, the combination with a pair of spaced brake rails located over the paths of travel of the car wheels, of a plurality of pivotal supporting yokes pivotally connected to the rails, power operated means co-acting with one of the yokes to hold the rails in uplifted position, a control device for the power operated means and operating means for the control device, and speed-controlled means on the car for co-action with the last mentioned operating means.

In testimony whereof we afliX our signatures.

ALFRED E. GUERTIN, SR. ALFRED E. GUERTIN, JR. 

